Tube dispenser with casing



March M, 11956 F. M. BROWN TUBE DISPENSER WITH CASING Filed May 11, 1948 Patenteci Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to means for dispensing or discharging the contents of flexible tubes such as are commonly employed for the purpose of containing toothpaste, shaving cream, or the like. My invention more particularly comprises novel and improved means to engage the end of the tube remote from the discharge end for cooperation with the tube to effect progressive squeezing action for dispensing the contents therefrom; and my invention additionally embodies improved means for suspending the dispenser device from a wall or other supporting structure.

In prior tube dispensers of the type to which my invention relates there have usually been provided means for engaging the end of the tub-e remote from the discharge end thereof for winding up the tube to effect progressive squeezing action to effect discharge of the contents thereof. Such means as heretofore proposed have been in the form of a slotted key or the like designed so that the non-discharge end of the tube may be received in the slotted portion of such key so that rotation of the latter operates to gradually wind the tube about the key beginning with the nondischarge end and progressing in the winding action toward the discharge end of the tube.

Such constructions as heretofore proposed have necessitated that when the tube is completely wound about the key down to the discharge end of the tube, the portion of the tube wound about the key has to be unwound therefrom in order to enable removal of the tube from the key to permit engagement thereof with a fresh tube filled with the material to be dispensed. This necessity to unwind the tube from the actuating key in order to remove therefrom the used tube from which the contents have been discharged constitutes an inconvenience and annoyance to the user and is an unpleasant task due to the fact that the winding of the tube upon the key crushes and fractures the same, squeezing out portions of the contents which spread over the coiled portions of the tube and is sticky and otherwise disagreeable in condition when the time comes for unwinding the tube from the key for removal thereof. This makes the handling of the tube for unwinding quite disagreeable.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide improved means engageable with the tube and operable to wind or coil the discharged portion of the tube thereabout, which means is readily disengageable from the tube coiled about the same without unwinding of the tube therefrom.

For the accompishment of this objective, my invention contemplates the provision of a spool or reel structure comprising detachably cooperable parts operable to provide an efiicient reel for winding of the tube thereon and readily disengageable from the coiled portion of the tube without unwinding of the same.

Other features of my invention involve the cooperation of the parts of the reel structure for rigid axial alignment thereof under normal operating conditions, and the provision of guiding means cooperable with the housing of the dispenser device for maintaining transverse alignment of the spool or reel structure in reference to the said housing during longitudinal movement of the spool or reel structure relative to the housing in reference to the progressive longitudinal movement of the spool or reel structure toward the discharge end of the tube disposed at the discharge end of the housing.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a tube dispenser embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional. view of the same.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same.

Figure 4 is a view showing one of the cooperating parts of the novel spool or reel structure alone.

Figure 5 is a view showing the other of said cooperating parts of the said spool or reel structure alone.

Figure 6 is a view of the spool or reel structure with the cooperating parts shown in their cooperative relation.

Referring to the drawings and describing the invention in detail; the numeral i generally indicates a tube dispenser embodying my invention and comprising a'rectangular housing 2 for enclosing a tube 3 containing toothpaste, shaving cream, or the like, said housing 2 having a closed bottom end 4 provided with an aperture through which extends the neck 5 of the tube 3, which neck 5 threadedly receives the usual screw cap 6. The

upper end of the housing 2 detachably receives a removable cap 7.

Each side 2a and 2b of the housing 2 is provided with a respective vertical longitudinal slot 8 as seen best in Figures 2 and 3, the said slots 8 both extending from the upper edge of the housing 2 substantially to the lower end thereof and serving to receive the guide portions of the reel or spool structure for guiding the latter in its longitudinal movement relative to the housing 2 as the tube 3 is wound or coiled thereupon.

The spool or reel structure comprises the detachably cooperable parts respectively designated by the numerals 9 and i0, as best seen in Figures 4 and 5, the members 9 and It) being substantially identical in form and comprising the hollow stem or reel portions II and I2, respectively, which are cylindrical in outer configuration and are provided with aligned axial slots extending from one end almost the entire axial length thereof, The alignedaxial slots provided in themstemor'reel portion H ofthe member 9 are indicated by the numeral 13 and the corresponding aligned axial slots of the stem or reel portion l2 of the member 19 are indicated by the numeral [4.

The outer cylindrical diameter of-the. stem or reel portion H is just slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the corresponding portion i2 of the member 10, so that the portion H of the member 9 may be received within the portion i2 oi the member it! as shown in Figure 6. When L so received, the members 8' and [Bare coaxially related. and may be rotated relatively to one another. to align the slots l3 with the slots id so that the closed end of .the tube 3 remote from the discharge end may beinserted through the aligned slots (3 and M of the-assembled spool or reel structure generally designated by the numera'l l and comprising the parts 9 and it. Or,

. ifdesired, the closed end of the tube or the portion of the tube adjacent thereto may be slid through the open end of the slots 13 or lll'axially of the respective member 9 or 10 and then the other of said members may be disposed in oooperative relation with the first of said members, whereby the portion H of the member 9 is, received within the portion. 12 of the member in with theslots I3 and I4 aligned and theportion of the tube extending therethrough.

It. will be noted that the member 9 is provided with a hand engagingknob 15 Land the member 10 is providedwith a similar knob it.

Each of the members 9 and I0 is provided with an annular groove intermediate the knob l5 and the respective stem or reel portion, the annular groove of the member 9 being indicated at I! .and the corresponding annular groove of the member ill being indicated at (8.

With the spool or reel parts 9 and I 0 assembled as above described in conjunction with the end portion of the tube 3, the cap 1 is removed from the housing 2 and the tube 3 inserted neck end down so that the neckv partextends through the aperture in the lower end 4 of the housing 2.

. The grooved portions H and 18 of the spool or .reel structure are inserted in the respective slots 8 at either side of the housing 2 so that the spool or reel structure 26 is aligned transversely of the housing and guided for vertical longitudinal movement by engagement of the slot edges of the housing in the grooves l1 and Ill. The cap I being, replaced upon the housing 2, the.tube

' dispenser i may be hung in any convenient place on a wall or cabinet by virtue of the provision 'of the keyhole slot [9 in the rear side of the housing 2. Thus the tube dispenser l may be hung on a nail in the wall or cabinet, the head of the nail extending from the wall bein caused to be inserted through the large portion of the keyhole slot and the shank of the nail entering the narrow'portion of the keyhole slot when the device isin place for suspension by the :nail. .Theoper'ation of dispensing the contents of the tube 3 from the device will be readily understood. The cap'E is removed from thetube and "'then the'knob'llor H] is rotated to thereby ro structure sliding down the slots 8.

tate the spool or reel structure to wind or coil thereupon the end of the tube engaged thereby, resulting in a progressive squeezing action being applied to the tube to cause the contents thereof to be forced outwardly for discharge through the neck 5 of the tube.

After a period When the continued winding up of the tube 3 has coiled on the spool or reel structure substantially the .entire tube, completing the discharge of the contents thereof, the operaunwinding the coiled up tube '3, and ii the reel structure is held over a wastebasket when the latter operation is being performed, a separation of the parts-9 and ill will enable the same to be slipped oiT the tube 3 and the latter'dropped into the wastebasket without touching the hands of the user, to'thereby avoid soiling the hands by contact with the extruded sticky contents of the tube'which may have become squeezed onto the exterior thereof in the use of the tube dispenser.

In Figure '6 the reel or spooldevice is shown in assembled condition with the detachably cooperable stem parts 9 and ill in-theircooperative 'coaxially aligned relation, as when the portion i I is telescopically fitted within the portion i2.

Since the aligned axial-slots i3 are open at their ends, as at [3a, "and the corresponding slots i l are similarly open at" their ends, as at Ma, it is readily seen that alignment of the slots 53 and it, when the'portion's H and Mars in telescoping relation; serves to provide practically a single con- "tinuous slot through the central-portion of the reel 23 through which a portion of the-"flexible tube 3 may extend. Figure 2 best showsthe alignment of the'axial slots 13 with theaxial'slots Ill and how; under such condition of assembled relation of theparts Sand lil,'a portion of the tube 3 extends through thecentral portion of the" reel 28; as above described; It may be noted from Figure? thatwhile the s10ts13 are wideenough to receive the empty 'flattened'portion 3a of the tube 3; saidslots i3 are narroweri'tha'n the thickened reinforced "end portion 3?) or the tube so'that' the latter'portion serves as anabutment engaging theperiphery of the stemportion H to'prevent the end of the 1 "tube fromlbeingpulled through and thereby disengaged from the'reel during the initial stage of 'the operation of winding the tube?) upon the reel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent of the United States; is:

l. A tube dispenser of the class described; comprisinga housing for atube to be dispensed, a reel device comprising detachably cooperable reel stem parts cooperable for axial alignment, said stemparts each having aligned open ended slots therein alignable to form a single continuous slot 'extending'axially oii'the' reel for receiving therein a portion of a flexible tube to be coiledthereon,

* and-cooperating guide means on-said reel device and said housing to mount the reel device on said housing for rotation and for movement'relative a tothe'housing in' the plane of-the' rotational axis of the reel device in guided relation to the housing transversely thereof, said stem parts being of hollow cylindrical formation, the open end of the slotted portion of one of said stern parts telescopically fitting within the corresponding portion of the other stem part.

2. A tube dispenser of the class described, comprising a housing for a tube to be dispensed, having aligned guide slots at opposite sides thereof, a reel device comprising detachably cooperable reel stem parts cooperable for coaxial alignment, said stem parts being of hollow cylindrical formation, each stem part having open ended slots therein aligned in the plane of the reel axis, the open end of the slotted portion of one of said stem parts telescopically fitting within the corresponding portion of the other stem part, said stem parts when in said telescopic relation being relatively rotatable for alignment of the slots of both stem parts in the plane of the reel axis to form a single continuous slot extending through the reel and REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,096 Fitchett Dec. 22, 1914 1,503,176 Waring July 29, 1924 1,575,386 Randall Mar. 2, 1926 1,975,915 Bannister Oct. 9, 1934 

